Ashes 2013: Mickey Arthur's pride in Ashes victory despite sacking

An emotional Mickey Arthur has defended his coaching record while expressing pride in Australia for winning back the Ashes. The decision to sack Arthur and replace him with Darren Lehmann just three weeks before the previous series in England was a drastic one, but Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland believes the subsequent revival has proven it was the right thing to do.

Sutherland has worn a grim expression for much of a difficult year, never taking his eye off the bigger picture even when he was criticised over the Test team's slide to the middle of the rankings.

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But he allowed himself a beaming smile the morning after Michael Clarke's team wrapped up the Ashes in Perth.

Sutherland said he never doubted he and team performance boss Pat Howard had made the right move in taking action when the team was at its lowest ebb, sacking Arthur and bringing in Lehmann, who restored morale and, in time, taught the team how to win again.

Asked if he felt vindicated, Sutherland said: ''Darren's played a fantastic role, a beautiful foil with Michael, they have led the team really well. Certainly looking back on it now, it looks like a pretty good decision doesn't it?

''I said at the time, and I maintain, that from where we were there was plenty of upside and we came to the conclusion we needed to make change at that time. It's easy to look back on that. There's been a lot of things that have contributed to the success.''

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The immediate fallout from Arthur's sacking was damaging, but the ex-coach said he was happy for Lehmann and his team, despite finding the constant references to his departure as a pivotal moment in the revival hard to swallow. ''I would be lying if I said it wasn't difficult,'' Arthur said.

''We didn't have a lot of those players over the time I was involved. I didn't think England would play so badly but Australia have been fantastic. I was emotional yesterday when I saw them get the urn back because I know how much hard work has gone into it, including my own, and how much we had spoken about getting those Ashes back.''

Arthur pointed out Ashes heroes Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and Brad Haddin were missing for much of his tenure, and said he was proud of his record before this year's disastrous tour of India.

''We won a hell of a lot. We lost one-nil against South Africa and we beat India [at home] four-nil playing the same brand of cricket. In actual fact, we were within two wickets in Adelaide of being No.1 in the world. That has been lost a little bit. I have tried to keep my distance during the Test series. Even though I was emotional yesterday, I was emotional for the right reasons, I was extremely happy for Darren Lehmann and for all the boys.''

The extent of Australia's dominance in the first three Tests has exceeded the chief executive's expectations. ''We all thought that we were a good show here at home but to be 3-0 up with a couple to play is probably beyond expectations,'' Sutherland said.

''We've had some difficult times over the last two or three years but the plan has always been to look for sustained success. That's what I love about what Michael Clarke has said. It's great to win the Ashes but we want to be No.1 and we want to stay there. Inside the team, that's what they are thinking as well.''

The quest for a 5-0 whitewash begins at the MCG on Boxing Day, where officials hope to challenge the world record crowd for a day of Test cricket, which stands at 90,800 for the 1961 Melbourne Test against the West Indies. The Melbourne Cricket Club expects a Boxing Day crowd of between 85,000 and 90,000 even though though it's a dead rubber.

Sutherland always had the support of the Cricket Australia board - chairman Wally Edwards raised eyebrows when he said the chief executive would keep his job even if Australia were thrashed 5-0 - but Howard said before the Ashes his own job was on the line this summer. There have been no discussions yet about a contract renewal for the former rugby international, who was appointed as a result of the Argus report, but the swift turnaround has shored up his job.

Howard has taken a step back from the team this summer, and was in Brisbane planning for the rest of the Test series and beyond when Johnson took the last England wicket at the WACA Ground.

Sutherland paid tribute to Howard's role in Australia's revival. ''He has done an amazing job over the two years he's been in cricket. He has continued to push on. He is hungry for Australian cricket to have success in all formats, men and women.''